


Shatter

by Ediblecrayon, velvetjinx



Series: Creatures of Dark Air [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, M/M, Major Original Character Death, One-Sided Attraction, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 11:02:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12793206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ediblecrayon/pseuds/Ediblecrayon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: The turning point.Takes place about fifty years prior to Further and Far Away.





	Shatter

**Author's Note:**

> Because Jinx and I are evil incarnate and live to make people cry. Also, keep your eyes open for an upcoming companion fic featuring the douchey frat boys!

They were lying in bed together in Marrakech, Avery’s head pillowed on Chris's chest as they passed a lit cigarette between them, when Avery cleared his throat. 

“Weirdest thing happened at the souk today,” he said idly, and Chris raised his eyebrow. 

“Oh?”

“Yeah. An old man in a brown djellaba grabbed my arm as I was walking past a vegetable stall, and when he looked at me his eyes were almost all black. I don't know what he was, but he was something magical. He looked me dead in the eyes and said, ‘Beware. Beware of the mountains of blue, beware of the tower. I see death there’ then he turned around and walked away.”

Chris frowned. “That was weird. ‘Mountains of blue’? What does that even mean?”

“Hell if I know,” Avery replied with a laugh. 

“Maybe he was just looking for you to give him coins in exchange for a prophecy.”

“No, that was the weird part. He didn't wait for me to give him anything.”

“Huh.” Chris shrugged. “We'll just have to make sure we don't go near any mountains that have been painted blue then.”

“Ass.” Avery smacked Chris lightly on the chest, making him laugh. 

“Back to the states tomorrow,” Chris said with a sigh. “This has been a fun trip, though I don't know that Sebastian has enjoyed this one as much.”

“Yeah, he hasn't seemed his usual self. Maybe getting back to the US will cheer him up.”

“I hope so.”

Avery reached across Chris to stub out the cigarette in the ashtray beside them, and kissed him softly. “I'm gonna turn in. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Chris lay awake in the dim light for a while, listening to Avery's deep breathing. Avery was his entire world; Chris couldn't imagine loving anyone even half as much. There were so many little things Chris loved about him. 

Eventually, Chris fell asleep, Avery in his arms, and dreamed happy dreams of the two of them. 

They had arranged to meet up with Scarlett when they arrived back in Alabama, and she was there at the airport when they landed. Sebastian had been in an odd mood the whole way back, sleeping--or pretending to sleep--for the entire flight. He brightened up slightly, however, when he saw Scarlett. 

She kissed them all on the cheek and smiled, pulling her sunglasses down her nose so she could look them all in the eye. “Boys, boys, boys! You look so tanned. How was your trip?”

“It was good. Got you a present,” Avery replied with a grin, and Scarlett smirked. 

“I knew you were my favorite, Avery. Okay, come on, let's get to the car before the seats melt in this heat.”

They dragged their luggage out to the car and Scarlett drove them all home, dropping Sebastian off at his place first. Sebastian barely said two words to them as he got out, waving briskly at them as he walked away. 

Chris looked at Avery and shrugged. They'd figure out what was bugging Sebastian later. 

It was good to be home, but only a few hours after they got back, Chris came home from the store to see Avery sitting on the sofa, tears running down his face as he looked at an old daguerreotype of his mother in hand. 

“Hey, what's wrong?” Chris asked softly, and Avery sniffed, shrugging. 

“It would have been her birthday today. She used to love birthdays, although she'd never tell us how old she was.”

Chris sat next to Avery and pulled him in close. Avery lay his face on Chris's shoulder, shoulders hitching as he sobbed, and Chris kissed the side of his head. 

“‘Hey, Jude’,” he sang softly, “‘don't make it bad. Take a sad song, and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better’.”

He continued to sing until Avery pulled back, wiping his eyes. “Thanks, baby.”

“You never have to deal with this alone. You should know that by now.”

“I know. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

Avery rested his head on Chris's shoulder, as Chris hummed ‘Hey Jude’ again. Avery was a big Beatles fan, had loved them for years, though if asked he'd claim to like the Rolling Stones more. Chris knew better, and whenever Avery was sad he'd sing ‘Hey Jude’ to him to cheer him up. It had become a thing with them since the song had been released, three years before. 

“I'm thinking I might go out for a solo flight tomorrow,” Avery said suddenly, taking Chris's hand and twining their fingers together. “That okay with you?”

It wasn't often that Avery wanted to fly solo, so Chris was somewhat surprised, but he figured that considering how much time they spent in each other's pockets it was only natural. “Of course, baby. I'll be here when you get back.”

Avery leaned up to kiss him, smiling. “Thanks, Chris. You're the best soulmate anyone could ask for.”

Chris just smiled back.

***

Sebastian should have known his attitude warranted an explanation. Of course it did, he had acted like a dick during the last quarter of their trip. But he also thought his friends would have been courteous enough to give him _space._

Well, Chris was. Avery was stubborn as a bull, especially if the pounding on his door was anything to go by, so really, Sebastian dropped the ball on that one. Tripping over his half packed luggage, he reached the front door and wrenched it open, glowering at the dragon shifter on his doorstep. “ _What?_ ”

Avery crossed his arm, raising an unimpressed brow. “You had to know I wasn’t just going to let you walk around with a stick up your ass without at least knowing why.” He ducked under Sebastian’s arm, hopped over the sea of clothes littering the floor, and landed nimbly on the sofa. “So,” he continued, leaning back and crossing his legs beneath him, “Let’s talk.”

Sebastian slammed the front shut and stomped over to the opposite loveseat, kicking away clothing as he went, before collapsing into the two-seater, radiating irritation. Between the tight expression and petulantly crossed arms, he looked like a child about to receive a lecture after time-out. “Nothing to talk about.”

Avery rolled his eyes so hard he could have sprained something. “Yeah, okay.” He leaned forward, forearms braced on his thighs and his expression softened into something more gentle. “What’s going on? Did Chris say something stupid again? I thought he got it last time I told him off after he tried setting you up with another succubi.”

Sebastian’s mouth twisted. “Wouldn’t have worked anyway. Succubi have mutually beneficial partnerships. Romantic relationships are a joke with us.” 

“Not to you, they aren’t,” Avery admonished gently.

“I don’t need you to remind me how I feel about your bondmate,” Sebastian snarled. “I already know I’m defective fuckup, okay?” He cast his eyes downward. “And a lovesick fool.”

Avery wrinkled his nose in thought. “That sounds like you’re quoting someone. Something happen?”

Sebastian exhaled through his teeth, face pinched. “That guy I was with, back at the underground. He invited me to a party after you guys headed in for the night. Anca was there.”

Avery let out a low whistle. “That succubi from back home you were partners in crime with when Chris and I first met you?”

Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut. “That’s the one.”

“Let me guess,” Avery said gently, “she ripped you a new asshole about how much of a tool you were for having feelings.”

Sebastian sank further into the cushions, white-knuckling the arm rest. “That’s putting it lightly.”

_“I see you’re still scampering after your dragon.” Anca lifted her wine glass to her painted lips, a smirk curling at the corners._

_Sebastian tipped back his scotch, signaling for another. “He’s not my dragon. He’s my friend; both of them are, and they’re better company than you ever were.”_

_Anca made a dismissive noise, setting down her glass with far more sophistication than someone at an orgy had any right to. “Is that what they call it, nowadays? I didn’t realize friends looked at one another with as much tenderness and care as you do with Christopher. How long have you been traveling with them for now? Him and his_ bondmate. _” She practically hissed the last word, as though it left a vile taste in her mouth. “About a century or so, yes?”_

_“You know,” Sebastian drawled, tipping his head in the direction of the bartender who refilled his glass, “For someone who claims to find emotions such a nuisance, you seem rather interested in my personal life. Am I sensing some bitterness, perhaps?”_

_Anca surged forward, baring her teeth in fury. “It was a privilege to lay with me. You should consider yourself lucky that you were able to have me for as long as you did.”_

_Sebastian shot her a look of disgust. “I never had you. We fucked, we had fun, and we have a vested interest in one another. Nothing more, nothing less. We had some great years together, and I appreciate that.” When Sebastian grinned it was full of venom. “You’re a beautiful woman, Anca, but beauty can only go so far in making up for lack of personality.”_

_For a brief moment, Anca’s eyes flashed a demonic gold, her features twisting into something horrific. Then she leaned back and picked up her wine glass, just as poised as before. “You were a phenomenal lover, Sebastian Stan, but you are a fool. You chase after something were are not meant to have, not meant to_ want. _And yet, here you are, a sad little boy in love with a friend who will never love you back.” She drained the rest of her glass, then stood, divesting herself of her shawl as she did so. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be off to enjoy myself.” And with that, she headed towards the mass of writhing bodies scattered about the room._

_Sebastian left without finishing his scotch._

Avery threw his hands up in frustration. “Oh come on, Seb, you have to know that’s absolute bullshit. Loving Chris doesn’t make you any more weak than I am for the same reason.”

“You’re a dragon,” Sebastian said miserably, speaking to his lap. “You’re _allowed_ to love. _Supposed_ to. It’s natural. Not for my kind.”

“Your _kind_ are a bunch of horny self-centered assholes,” Avery shot back. “You’re one of the best people I know, and there is _nothing wrong with you._ ”

“If you say so.” Sebastian stood then, gesturing for Avery to follow him to the door. He paused with his hand on the knob, looking abashed. “I’m sorry I was such a jerk to you guys. Anca really got under my skin, and I let her.” He ran his free hand through his hair, sighing. “Look, I gotta go apologize to Chris. You coming?”

Avery narrowed his eyes at him, as though searching for something, and Seb nearly squirmed. “Nah,” he said finally, “I’m gonna go get some air. Clear my thoughts a little.”

Sebastian nodded, extending an arm to give his friend a hug as they stepped onto the front stoop. “I’ll see you later, man. Have fun.”

“We’re not done talking about this!” Avery called after him as he sent off down the path.

Sebastian grimaced as he set out on his own way. 

Yes, they definitely were.

***

Chris had been having a pretty good morning. When Avery had left, with kisses and a promise to stay safe, Chris had grabbed his keys and wallet and gone out to meet up with Scarlett. When she had arrived at the café, she had a young witch in tow, who looked to be around eighteen although Chris could sense that she was older. That happened sometimes: witches who were so powerful, so full of magic, that the aging process slowed down or stopped altogether. 

Her name was Elizabeth, and she was down from Nevada meeting up with members of her coven. Her speciality, she said, was healing, and Chris had looked at her, impressed. True healers were hard to come by, and Chris could sense how powerful this particular witch was. 

They'd ended up going back to Chris's apartment. They had barely sat down when the doorbell rang. Chris had gone to the door, curious as to who it could be, only to see Sebastian slouching on the other side, sunglasses perched low enough on his nose that he could look over the top of them. 

“Um. Hey,” Sebastian said hesitantly. “I, uh. Can I come in?” 

Chris frowned. “Scarlett and her friend are here.”

“Okay, we'll talk here. I'm sorry I've been such an ass the last while. I… I saw Anca when we were in Morocco.”

“Anca,” Chris echoed flatly. “What did that bitch want?”

“Yeah, I know you never liked her,” Sebastian said with a sigh. “Anyway, she said some shit--I won't go into it--that seriously got under my skin, and I ended up taking it out on you guys. I'm sorry.”

“You need to apologize to Avery too,” Chris told him. 

“Yeah, I already have. He swung by mine about a half hour ago.”

Chris nodded, when he started to feel a buzzing at the back of his skull. He shook his head to clear it, but it became more intense, and he gasped, his legs almost going from under him. 

“Avery, oh god!”

“What's wrong?” Sebastian asked in alarm.

“There's something… Avery’s in trouble, he's hurting, we gotta go now.”

“Scarlett!” Sebastian yelled, and Scarlett and Elizabeth wandered into the hallway behind Chris. 

“Well look what the cat--”Scarlett began, but Sebastian cut her off, seeing that Chris was unable to speak. 

“We have to go. Something’s wrong with Avery.”

“I'll come too,” Elizabeth said. “Just in case.”

Chris nodded and they headed out to the driveway. Sebastian took Chris's car keys from him and climbed into the driver’s seat, Chris in shotgun and the women in the back. 

“Where are we going?” Sebastian asked. 

“Cheaha Mountain, or thereabouts,” Chris replied, gasping as another shock went through him. “That's where he likes to fly.”

Sebastian nodded grimly as they pulled out, driving right up to the speed limit. “Fucking blue ridge mountains.”

Chris’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”

“The Talladega mountains. They're the final southern segment of the blue ridge mountains. Why?”

“‘Mountains of blue’,” Chris moaned. “Oh god, oh god let us be on time.”

“He'll be somewhere secluded, I'm guessing,” Sebastian said as they drove into the Cheaha State Park, following the road into the mountains. 

As they drove, the feeling got stronger, and Chris gasped. “Turn right here,” he ordered, and Sebastian did so, following a dirt path. In the distance, Chris could see some men, but when they saw the car coming they jumped into a four-by-four and drove off. Chris suddenly felt his guts sink into his feet as the echoed pain became stronger and stronger. 

Sebastian suddenly hit the brakes, and Chris looked up to see Avery, lying on the ground, clothes torn and covered in what looked like blood. Chris jumped out of the car and ran to his side, yelling Avery's name. 

He skidded to a halt on his knees beside Avery, lifting his head and lying it on his own lap. 

“Avery? Avery!” Chris said frantically, and Avery's eyes blinked open. But Chris could tell he was dying; his eyes were unfocused and he was pale as a ghost. 

“Chris?” Avery whispered, then his eyes fluttered shut again. Chris looked up, tears brimming in his eyes, and saw Elizabeth run up to them and begin chanting over Avery's prone form. There was a hazy glow around them as she worked her magic, but all too quickly the glow faded and Elizabeth looked at Chris with tears in her eyes. 

“I'm sorry,” she choked out. “I'm so sorry. He's gone.”

Chris looked down at the face of the man who had been his lover, his friend, his everything for over two centuries, and began to cry. He swept the hair back from Avery's face, then pulled Avery's body against him. 

“‘Hey, Jude’,” he began to sing, his voice breaking on almost every note as the tears streamed down his cheeks, “‘don't be afraid. You were meant to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better’.”

His voice cracked on the last word as he began to sob, a moan of pain escaping his lips. 

In that moment, he wished he could die too. 

***

They buried Avery’s body on a grassy bluff, atop a cliffside that overlooked their town. It was only fitting that he be laid to rest near the two places he held close to his heart. 

The dragon council was in an uproar. While one of their own had been slaughtered, many members believed keeping the rest of their kind secret wasn’t worth the risk of retaliation. Others wanted to wage war on the hunters; but others still argued-- Which hunters? Who else knew of their existence? And if retaliation was made, who was to carry out the deed? It was, essentially, an absolute shitshow. 

Not only that, but the likelihood of avenging Avery was looking slimmer each day.

It had been three days. Three days since Sebastian had lost his best friend and brother. Three days since Chris had lost the love of his life.

Chris had taken up residence in Seb’s guest bedroom, having entered a state of catatonia immediately following Avery’s funeral. Losing a bondmate was devastating, and caused an extreme amount of strain to the surviving partner. Many mates didn’t survive; the fact that Chris was still breathing was nothing short of a miracle. Scott had flown in to keep an eye on his brother, the rest of their family being embroiled in battle with the council. He and Seb took it in shifts to camp outside Chris’s door, anxiously checking in on him every hour. Elizabeth had stopped by multiple times, unsuccessfully attempting to break Chris out of his stupor. Scott would sit with him on occasion, recounting stories from their youth, and Seb would read Tolkien to him, but it was like talking to an empty shell.

It was on the third evening that Scott entered the kitchen to find Sebastian at the kitchen table pouring over a thick leather bound book. Avery had loved to collect all sorts of maps, and the book held every bit of his collection. Scott frowned.

“What are you doing? Actually, when the hell did you go back to the house? _Why_ did you go back to the house?”

Sebastian didn’t seem to hear him, muttering under his breath, brow furrowed in frustration as he obsessively turned the pages of the manuscript. Honestly, Scott was starting to get worried.

“Seb,” he called, tentatively. No response. “Seb. Sebastian. Sebastian!”

Seb’s head snapped up, eyes wild and hair mussed, as though he’d spent the past several hours running his hands through it. “Messy kill,” he stated, as though he’d just come up with an answer on _Jeopardy!_.

“What?”

“Avery,” Sebastian muttered, rumpling his hair even further. “His body was a bloody, mangled mess. Clothes shredded, so he must have shifted; chunks of skin missing, but all organs intact--”

“ _Christ_ , Seb!” Scott pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes, breathing forcibly through his nose. “We know what happened, do you really have to be so clinical about it? My brother in law’s gone, I don’t need to hear the fucking details all over again.”

“ _Scott._ ” Sebastian sprang out of his chair, grabbing his friend roughly by the shoulders. “Dragons are hunted for their body parts; their organs, scales, eyes. Avery wasn’t missing any of that, but he was a messy kill. When have you ever known hunters to be _messy?_ Or better yet, kill a dragon and not bother to harvest it?”

Scott’s jaw unhinged, his eyes wide. “You’re saying it wasn’t a professional hit.”

“No! Yes, exactly, no it wasn’t!” Sebastian released Scott, sending him stumbling backwards, then proceeded to pace the length of the kitchen like a madman. “That means the point of the kill was most likely for sport. Probably a group of rich frat boys up from college who heard stories passed down and decided to give hunting a try. Probably their first kill, by the looks of it, and we both know Avery didn’t go down without a fight.” He spun around, jabbing a finger at the open book on the table. “There’s a town on the other side of the mountain. They’re probably more than a little fucked up, which means they would have needed first aid, which means they wouldn’t be able to travel right away. And we already decided they’re frat boys, so they’re probably staying at one of the taverns--”

“Celebrating,” Scott finished grimly, eyes a reptilian blue. The word was said on a hiss, and smoke was practically flaring from his nostrils. “How many inns are there?”

“A few. But, frat boys. My bet is the one with lots of booze and private rooms to get laid.”

“Okay.” Scott took a deep breath. “When do we go? Chris would want--”

“ _We_ aren’t doing anything. Chris is in no shape to go anywhere, and you’re both grounded by the council anyway.”

Scott gaped. “Oh fuck no, I’m not letting you go by yourself!”

When Sebastian smiled, it was cold. His eyes were gold, and his shoulders rolled strangely. “I’m an incubus, Scott. All I have to do is turn on the charm and they’ll never see me coming.”

“Seb,” Scott protested wearily, “You’ve haven’t fed.”

“I’ve been getting by.” Sebastian waggled his right hand for emphasis. “And believe me,” his grin widened, displaying sharp teeth.

“I’ll be getting more than my fill tonight.”

***

Emptiness. 

The bond was calling out for its other half, but all it was finding was emptiness. Minutes, hours, days could have passed, but Chris was completely unaware. The pain consumed him every moment. He thought he might be lying down, sheets cool against his fevered flesh, but he was never conscious enough to tell. 

He drifted in a haze, occasionally almost aware of voices--sometimes Sebastian, sometimes his brother--but he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. When he dreamed, his dreams were a confused jumble of his childhood, scenes from _The Lord of the Rings_ , and of Avery, sometimes alive but more often lying dead, his blood seeping through Chris's clothing. 

Sometimes he thought he had cried out Avery's name, but he couldn't tell whether he had used his voice or the cries were solely in his head. 

In truth, he didn't want to wake. Didn't want to be in a world without Avery in it. He knew the chances were that he would die too from the strain of losing his bondmate and he welcomed it. 

But his natural resilience came to the fore, and his body and mind fought to stay alive. Fought to remain and not be dragged down with Avery. The pain was so great it felt like dragon fire on his skin, burning through him, but when it began to ease that was almost as bad. It meant that he was surviving, getting past the initial strain of loss. 

Slowly, the pain waned, and when his eyes blinked open he saw his brother, sitting next to the bed, reading. 

“Scott?” he croaked, voice shaky from underuse, and Scott jumped so high he looked like he could have hit the ceiling. It would have been funny, if anything could be funny right then. 

“Jeez, big bro, you scared the crap outta me.” Scott grabbed Chris's hand and squeezed it. “How are you doing?”

Chris tried to answer, but could only shake his head weakly as the tears began to fall. Scott's grip on Chris's hand tightened, and Chris could see Scott's own eyes welling up with tears. 

“We thought we were gonna lose you there, big bro,” Scott said thickly, and Chris shrugged. “Oh, no, don't you dare.” Scott's voice turned angry. “You've got this far. I'm not gonna lose you now.”

“I just don't know how I'm supposed to live without him,” Chris managed as he sobbed. “He was my everything for so long, Scott. And now he's been torn away from me and I don't know how I'm supposed to just… live.”

Scott was silent for a moment. “I don't know, big bro,” he said heavily. “But you've got to find a way. We can't lose you too.”

Chris closed his eyes, as though to shut out reality. “I just… I need to sleep, okay? I can't deal with being awake right now.”

Scott clapped him on the shoulder. “Take all the time you need. And when you're ready, well. We'll be here.”

Chris nodded and rolled onto his side, facing away from Scott. He heard his brother leave the room, and tried to sleep. But sleep was a long time coming. 

***

It was easy, in the end. Laughably easy.

They hadn’t been very difficult to find, not when one of them was completely shit-faced and bragging to a group of girls about how he was a real-life dragon slayer and that they were headed after a clutch of eggs come sunrise. There were four of them, settled in a pub on the other side of the mountains; a handful of drunken frat boys celebrating a job well done. The head of them, some asshole in a fraternity polo wearing a hunter’s medallion, had taken up residence at the bar and was ogling anything with an ass and tits. 

Until Sebastian, and Seb wasn’t ashamed to admit he used that ass to his advantage. All it had taken was a few more drinks, a touch of glamour, and the promise of a wild night for all four of the them if the guy took him out to see a fire-breathing lizard for the frat boys to drive him back out to the mountains.

Finding them had been easy. Killing them was even easier. 

Luckily Frat Boy Prime had grown up on stories told by his late hunter great-grandfather that no one else believed, with the exception of his friends. That meant no one would come looking for dragons when they were ultimately reported missing. He dumped the bodies in the lake one by one, and watched as the mermaids stripped the flesh and muscle from the corpses, until the bones sank to the bottom of the lakebed. Then he took his tattered and bloody clothing and sank those too. The mermaids were more than happy to repay him for the free meal.

It was early morning by the time he made it home, and luckily, still pitch black out. It wouldn’t have done well for the neighbors to report sights of a flying demon or a naked man covered in blood. It didn’t hurt that he’d deliberately chosen to live on the edge of town, either.

Scott was waiting for him outside, expression grim as he handed him a towel and socks. Sebastian took them silently, eyes a little too gold and teeth a little too sharp. 

“What happens now?” Scott asked. He looked lost, like he was still that fledgling Seb remembered who had taken his first tumble out of the sky. 

“Chris doesn’t need to know about this,” Sebastian muttered, flicking dried blood from his fingernails. His voice sounded foreign to him, dragged over gravel and devoid of emotion. “At least not yet. Probably not for quite a while. He needs to heal, and this will just stall the process. He’s doing badly enough as it is.”

“He came to, for a while,” Scott informed him, carefully looking anywhere but directly at Sebastian. “Went back to sleep a few hours ago. He’s not doing well, I’m just happy he’s finally talking.”

Sebastian nodded, forced his posture to relax, his eyes to fade back to grey-blue. “I’m going to shower. While I’m in there, make sure you burn that towel. We’ll have to figure out a way to cover up the smell of blood so Chris doesn’t suspect anything.”

Scott shuffled his feet awkwardly. “Uh. I know this nymph I’ve kind of been seeing. I’ll see if he can do something without asking too many questions.”

“Good.” Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut, suddenly exhausted. “That’s--that’s good.”

***

Chris woke suddenly, the smell of blood in his nostrils and rage in his heart. He roared at the ceiling, clutching the bedspread and arching his back. Scott came running in, calling something--it might have been Chris's name, but Chris couldn't tell over the blood rushing through his ears. 

Scott clutched his shoulders, yelling, but Chris twisted against the restraining hold. 

“I'm going to kill them,” he screamed. “I will rain fire down on them so they understand my pain!”

“Chris! _Chris_! You can't. The Council are dragging their heels. We're trying to argue our case but they're not listening. If you go after them now the Council will come down on you. Besides, you're not strong enough. You need to stay here until you're stronger.”

Chris’s eyes narrowed, as he looked around the room. “Where the fuck am I anyway?”

“You're at my place,” Sebastian said as he strolled into the room, toweling his hair dry. “And Scott's right. You're going nowhere, pal.”

“Try and stop me,” Chris growled, but Sebastian shook his head, snorting.

“You really think Scott and I can't stop you? We're plenty strong enough individually, Chris, but together? You're staying put.”

Chris glared, but Sebastian stared him down. His face crumpled, and he began to cry. Scott clutched his hand, drawing him into a hug, and Sebastian reached around, hugging them both. 

It was two weeks before Sebastian and Scott allowed Chris to go back to his place, but even that was only for a few minutes, to collect some clothes. Chris really didn't want to be there; not without Avery. Not with everything smelling like him, like he was going to walk out of the kitchen with that soft smile of his that was just for Chris. 

When they got back to Sebastian's, Chris collapsed on the sofa, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I think I need you guys to help me find a new place,” he said heavily. 

Sebastian rolled his shoulders idly. “Yeah, I've been thinking about that. We should probably get out of Alabama altogether. Too many memories.”

“We?” Chris looked up at Sebastian in surprise, and Sebastian snorted derisively. 

“Well, yeah. As if I'd ever let you move by yourself. You're my best friend. Where you go, I go.”

Chris’s expression softened. “Thanks, man. So where should we go?”

“Well,” Sebastian began with a grin, “Scarlett has been trying to get us up to Nevada for, like, possibly forever. Now's the perfect time, I'd say. You'll have friends around you, and I can see what the, uh”--he licked his lips--“ _pickings_ are like in possibly the most sinful state in the good old US of A. I'm guessing they're _delicious_.”

Scott walked by Sebastian on his way to the kitchen, smacking him on the back of the head as he passed and making Sebastian scowl. Chris rolled his eyes. 

“Nevada, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Chris nodded. “Let's do it. How soon can we go?”

“We'll have to get everything packed up first, and you have to decide what you're gonna keep.”

Chris swallowed and fought the tears that threatened. “I want to get gone as soon as we can.”

Sebastian looked at him in understanding. “We will, Chris. And who knows? Maybe we'll like Nevada enough to make it a home.”

“Maybe,” Chris replied with a wan smile. He wasn't entirely sure that anywhere could be home without Avery. 

As though sensing his pain, Scott flopped down on the sofa beside him, pulling him in and kissing him messily on the cheek. “I've heard the nightlife in Nevada is something else,” he said. “I think there's a lot of magicals in and around Vegas, especially near the mountains? So that could be cool.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Chris said absently, his thoughts already gone to planning what he would pack and what he would throw away or send to Goodwill. He missed the looks of worry exchanged between his brother and Sebastian as he compartmentalized his thoughts and feelings into neat boxes. He knew it wasn't healthy, but it was the only way he could survive. 

And survive he would.

**Author's Note:**

> We are velvetjinx and edible-crayon on Tumblr.


End file.
